German leader Olaf Scholz seeks Indian support for efforts to isolate Russia

Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Saturday that Germany wants to get India to support, or at least not block, Western efforts to isolate Russia for waging a devastating war against Ukraine.

Following his talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Scholz stressed that developing countries were being negatively impacted by energy and food shortages resulting from the war and hopes that India will help secure critical supplies to Asia, Africa and the Americas.

Modi maintained his cautious approach and said India wanted the conflict to be ended through dialogue and diplomacy. “India is ready to make its contribution to any peace initiative,” he added.

He has refrained from any overt criticism of Russia as Moscow is a major supplier of arms, oil and India’s other economic needs.

Scholz said that Russia’s war against Ukraine “violated the fundamental principle to what we all agree of not changing borders through the use of violence.”

Scholz, who arrived in the Indian capital on Saturday, also discussed with Modi ways to boost bilateral economic cooperation.

He said he supported a free trade agreement between the European Union and India and he “personally will make sure that this does not drag on.”

The trip is Scholz’s first official visit to India, though it is his fourth meeting with Modi since taking office in 2021, underlining Germany’s interest in reaching out to Delhi.

“There is huge potential for intensified cooperation in sectors such as renewables, hydrogen, mobility, pharma and digital economy” with India, Scholz said in an interview published by The Times of India newspaper on Saturday.

After a videoconference with fellow leaders from the Group of Seven industrial powers on Friday, Scholz said before leaving Berlin that “internationally, we are endeavoring to make clear that Russia stands alone in the world with its aggression against Ukraine.”

Philipp Ackermann, the German ambassador to India, said he understands why India is buying large quantities of oil from Russia.

“That’s something that the Indian government decides and as you get it at a very, very low price, you know I cannot blame the Indian government for buying it,” New Delhi Television cited Ackermann as saying.

Germany has been pushing to diversify its economic relations as European countries try to decouple from China, a German official said on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to talk to reporters.

Modi said the business delegation accompanying Scholz was firming up agreements with India in digital technology, the telecommunication sector and diversification of supply chains.

Scholz reiterated that Germany welcomes skilled workers from India, especially in information technology and software industries.

“We want to benefit from the Indian talent employed in Germany in the industrial sector,” he said.

India is set to receive $10.5 billion in aid by 2030 to boost the use of clean energy under agreements the two sides signed in May last year.

The two-day visit will also take Scholz to India’s information technology hub Bengaluru on Sunday.

by The Associated Press